Packaging equipment is commonly used for the filling of containers, the closure of the containers, and the labeling of containers. Examples of containers in frequent use are the bottles or boxes found on the shelves in the marketplace. The bottles are used to package food and other items for both the home and in industry. Such packages are provided with labels to identify the contents of the package, as well as to provide instructions in the use of the material contained within the package.
A problem arises in that there are occasions wherein there is insufficient room on a package label to provide all of the necessary data and instructions on the use of the material contained within the package. For example, in the distribution of medicinal products, literature or outserts in the nature of a multi-folded paper is attached to the package, such multi-folded paper has adequate space to fully describe the material being packaged and/or its use. However, the securing of literature, such as the foregoing multi-folded paper or a brochure of bound sheets of paper, is not readily accomplished by the type of mechanism utilized for applying a simple, single layer label. The bulkiness of the literature and its tendency to open, necessitates the use of specially constructed equipment which can handle the folded or bound literature.
The known literature applying machines have a number of problems. Web breaks and adjustment of the literature stop pins create constant attendance. Tension of the web is critical because too much tension causes web breaks, while not enough tension may cause the web to sag. Further, removing the literature from a magazine hopper and placing it on the web in a consistent manner is another problem with the conventional literature applying machines. Such conventional literature applying machines use a reciprocating or rotary mechanism that takes the literature out of a hopper using a vacuum, turns the literature at an angle of 90.degree. with respect to the web, and then releases the vacuum, thus adhering the literature to the web. However, this type of mechanism does not apply the literature to the web with consistent accuracy, and must be rebuilt frequently due to constant mechanical wear.
Literature may also be applied to containers using glue machines. The literature is removed from a hopper and placed on a rotary drum. The drum holds the literature by vacuum and is rotated to a station that applies glue to the back of the literature. The drum is then rotated to another station where the literature is applied directly onto a container. This method of applying a piece of literature to the container, however, is messy and inaccurate.
The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages inherent in the above-described literature applying machines by providing a rotatable member which receives literature from a hopper and is rotated to a station that applies the literature to an adhesively coated web. The rotatable member of the present invention is rotated such that only a single piece of literature is received by each literature receiving area on the rotatable member.